Let’s talk about Sheriff. Being a filmmaker in Malaysia means that you have to face many big challenges. The audience is limited to a single country and that directly means they can’t invest on Hollywood-level budgets. However, these factors are nothing compared to the biggest challenge of all: our own stereotypical view.
Some Malaysians among us proudly confess that they do not support local movie industries, mainly because of how we stereotypically view our own work. You know: cheesy romantic stories, evil mother-in-law, poor girl, rich man.
But in ‘Sheriff’, Syafiq Yusof manages to subvert the expectations of the entire country. He didn’t just make a cool police movie, but a profound film that bravely criticizes corruption and the consequences of it. In this review, we are going to take a look at each of every aspect that made this movie great.
Beware of spoilers ahead.
That’s How You Write A Conflict
Corruption is the main conflict of the movie. Which is quite surprising because we rarely criticize corruption among police, court, and politicians in our local entertainment industries. Syafiq Yusof is really gutsy for that.
A great conflict in a movie is when the audience was given two sides; and they are having a hard time deciding which side is right.
There are two options in fighting corruption. The first one is through ‘law’. This movie has proven to be flawed as the big bad of the movie, Tony Ifrit, can buy his way out of justice. And that leaves us to the second option: vigilantism, taking justice to our own hands.
In the first half of the movie, the audience root for Inspector Nazri, who secretly commits vigilantism by murdering corrupted superiors. However, in the middle of the movie, it was revealed that Inspector Nazri made a mistake: his superior whom he believed was corrupt was actually undercover. He murdered the wrong person. This shows that vigilantism is not a perfect alternative for ‘laws’, but rather an impulsive behavior fueled by anger.
Laws are flawed. Vigilantism is flawed. The audience is left conflicted. That’s how you write a good story.
That’s How You Act
Let me just say every single character in this movie nailed their part. Zul Ariffin manages to be the cocky and charismatic inspector. Syafiq Kyle manages to pull off a mentally-disturbed character. Azira Shahfinaz gets to be the clean, trust-worthy, and law-abiding inspector. Obviously, I can’t list every single actor here, but you get the point.
The way they speak and behave is not stiff and doesn’t feel like it was obviously scripted. It’s naturally executed and sounds exactly how real Malaysians talk. Perfect comedic timings, powerful lines are delivered, and they nailed emotional scenes.
Speaking of emotions, some drama writers need to understand. By making your character cry and scream for three minutes straight with sad songs playing in the background won’t affect your audience at all. Emotional scenes are earned. Built. Planned.
A single drop of tear by Inspector Syaz at the end of the movie was a perfect example. No hysterical scream. No sad songs playing in the background. Just a well-written story and astronomically good acting.
That’s How You Write A Climatic Scene
Let’s just talk about the climax of the scene. The death of half of the main casts? It was crazy. The good kind of crazy.
This isn’t just a scene where the action sequence goes pew pew pew and people die. The tense was carefully built. The death of every character concludes every thread of a story.
Naz gets his revenge by killing Tony. Syaz shows her dedication in enforcing law by willing to shoot her own brother. And when the second traitor was revealed in this scene? Bam. Jane shoots him down, showing how mischief she is.
And the story keeps giving. Jane is revealed to be the traitor and commit suicide in front of Inspector Sheriff, who caught her.
Every bullet was fired not because it was cool. But because it signifies the conclusion of every characters’ story. That’s how you write a satisfying climax.
Let’s Close The Case
What more can be said? Great conflicts, stellar performance, and satisfying conclusion. Have the jury reached a verdict? Yes, we have. We rate this movie as 10 out of 10.
This review serves as a testament to the potential of Malaysian cinema, proving that with bold storytelling and exceptional talent, local films can rival their international counterparts.
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